Thomas w



1', W. R. McCABE.

CHECK PRINTING MACHlNE.

APPucmoN FILED MAY 2. 1912.

1,353,926. PatentedSept. 28,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- M 5513 W I a T. W. R. McCABE.

CHECK PRINTING MACHiNE.

APPucmou men IIAY 2 m2.

1,353,926. Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-S REE T Z /6 m l J as 43 ffg 616 fi 15 n 2 w m6 a w W/ X E" Z M/ 15 I W x Q S grvuenl'oz M CQ be UNITED STATES FiEENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W B inn-mum 9F WATERBURY, conn'nc'ncu'r, ASSLLUNOR 'ro winnin n IASBROUCK. OF BING'HAM-TON. NEW YORK.

CHECK-PRINTTNG MACHINE L353 92fl Specification of Letters Patent. Patented fig j'i 1gg: j fl gu j I 1 1 Application filed May 2, 191:. Serial No. 165,902. L

1 ww/wm imnayzemmern others as may hereinafter ap tieur asgmiizrtii 1it"k110wnwtha't I, THOMAS \V. R. ing to'thc details ofconstruction; in rinimfl BIBLE-rim; 'ai eit ize" of the United. States, re- Yention will now be, "fully set i'm-ih nhilri i siding at W'wterbu'ry', in the county of Newdescribed, referenee being lrmi tothe :ir'i-Zonia 5 Havenrstate of Gonna-Hunt, have inventeti punying drawings. i ce'mfiaiir'new" and useful}Improvements in. In the .rlrawings (lh'eek 'PrintingMaehines; tind'l do hereby Figure l is u'front"elevsi'tionuoi the 1mm de'chir'ethfiol'imriiig fii be .1 fulhjciear, Chine, p and exactdescriptioniif the-invention, such Fig. 2 is {vet-tire! eeic'tionn-t "vhf-nu if.\i ('h" as will enahl eothere skilled in the art to transi'e'rsely throngh thementrfii iortion df sn which it uiinertuina to nmke and use. the the machine. j I ii; -11 same." Fig. 3 is 'ho'rizontui sottienmi' \iewi This invention relates. to nnnrhineg tor through the-nnijrhine. wiih the pin-twin the imprinting characters upon checks. drafts, position they assun'ie jlhi :1! (he oumpiotinn nbtes and other papers of similar.clniracter, of the printing operation. 55 the machine. moreparticularly,being t that Fig. 4 is a rertivni ii'ililHitflst' set'ii ne Chfil'fltftl'\Yhuil are typified by the term Fig. 0 is $1 .wvtion on line 5 m Fig. .3.

check writing machines.;' Fig. (3 is a horizonta seotion nhoyeithe It 'is in general the object of the invention platen. 7 it g to increase'nthe" efficiency of machines of Fig. T is it io'n zittidilmigeeth n3 rimv-ofj 'ro this eharaeizereandtd sinipiifyand otherwise a modified form of the ineehiimsni. and.

' inipi'ovetheir'sfiiiuetnres with aw'ie'w. to the Fig. 8 is u transverse s retion thereof. provision of a compact and (humble merhzi; Referring niore 'pdrtieiflmiy to th.e"tlr-.u

ni'si'n'whidhmay he'bn'iltiat a rompnrzitiveiy iiigs, 1 iinlirutes hIiJtlH! upon \tliieh s: Idw bg't, mounted a easing 2. the.latter-imiiii z prefer An "important? n'ndmore specifiv object iibiy h. enstinfj n'itl'iin whichwfiqiton aits emi' Tesidesf'in the provisioiro'f a check writing Walls. are torinettthe ith; thingies 3. 1hr; fm'fichine whieh'npon,tiieuinsertion of a check latter are ii in'nngeihi-n vertirz'tl pairs fo'r'a a. thereinniay he'ofjerated with one. hand to purpose which triii-"Jwreinnfter a.1j|pen'r.- print various sneressi've symbols on the Also, the"rasingflfon il .ront fzt'r-e i5 l'i i i check. whereby the other hand of the 13- with :i'tertiv-ai [irohiherzinee iin vingm slot erator is free to 'iei r'orni any, iie iretl op; 5 "which iorms :rgiridr way tli1'o\\gh,. l1i h QIRfiO'IlLJ the controh member of the printing dei'iee; Likewiseiait is'anzoh iert to providen eheek projects. as inter described. 35 nriting Inn-chine in'whieh the conetion (Pith? A: thefllllmv t'or'wnrtl pm'llon of the 6}}5; H pl'intin g'iwvhehianzfl r lat g ml't' "ing 2. the protuberance c tet minateghin a L h mm k,. gtlqq ggpi thmn h thi ingrinclined tzlhiefi, into whichethei elotpig i .s'

blocks ,9 are provided through their upper faces with the vertical bores 13 within which are seated the coil springs 14 whose upper or free ends bear against abutments 15 formed integrally with the casin ,the action of the springs being thus to pus i the blocks 9 downwardly. The effect of the springs 14 is to push the bearing blocks 9 into contact with a pair of cam heads 16 which are pivotally mounted below the guide ways 3 upon the end walls of the casing. The cam heads 16 are provided with the arms or extensions 17 and 18 which entend respectively, below the front and rear sides of the yoke 11 in such operative relation that under certain circumstances which will'be later defined, said front and rear sides will rock the arms 17 and 18 to cause the cam head 16 to raise or lower the bearings 9;

As above stated the printing wheel or drum 12 is .mounted in the yoke 11, the shaft 19 supportin the drum extending forwardly through the bearing 20 which forms a part of the front side of the yoke, and continu ing therefrom through the slot 5, the .extended end thereof being provided with a knob or hand-grip 21 and also carrying a pointer 22 which is adapted to cooperate withthe indicia 8 in setting the printing wheel for an operation. The normal position of the yoke 11 and the shaft 19 is inclined, asindicated in Fig. 2, the parts" being normally drawn to and held in this position by means of a pair of springs 23 which are tensioned between the rear side of voke 11 and the casing 2.

The wheel 12 ispreferably a unitary casting whose periphery is sufliciently broad to accommodate a printing surface having thc longest ivord or phrase which the machine is adapted to print or impress at a single operation. Furthermore, the periphery of the drum or wheel is transversely rounded. so that the drum is virtually a section of a sphere whose tangent is the platen surface. or rather. is that plane in which the printin is done.

Tormed on the periphery of the drum or wheel 12. in parallel relation, is the series of printing characters 21 which in the present instance comprises written numerals. freely secured on the wheel. but which may be. without departing from the invention. removably attached in a suitable manner (not shown) whereby to permit the use of various words. phrases and characters which are required under different conditions in the writing of bank paper. Between each two printing characters :24 is formed a transverse groove 25 which. when the wheel is rocked into printing position. is adapted to receive the blade of a downwardly pro jecting locking lug 26 which is formed upon the casing 2. By meanspf tins locking lug the wheel is prevented from rotatlon out of its accurate printing position during the.

printing operation.

Mounted upon a transverse axis in the base of the machine is a platen roller 27, the latter being located in recess 28 so that its periphery is operative just above the surface of the base 1 and may be contacted by the peripheral surface of the drum, or rather, by the printing surfaces carried by the drum. As the drum is swung into printing position, the pa )er to be printed is initially caught by t. 1e rear edge of the drum and the roller, so that as the drum is swung downwardl and rearwardly the paper is fed over tie roller by the coaction of the latter with the printing Surface simultaneously with the printing operation.

In order to strip t 1e paper from the printing surface after printing operation or after each printing step and to hold the paper for the next printing step, a pair of strippers .29 is provided, said strippers consisting of spring plates which. are secured to the front of* the casing and have their stripping surfaces projecting rearwardly below the drum in such spaced relation as not to interfere with the coaction of the 'drum and platen but to prevent the paper being carried with the printing surface when the drum is lifted at the end of the printing stroke.

The drum or wheel 12 is inked by means of a pair of rollers 30 which are rotatable upon yokes or frames 31 pivotally suspended from the front and rear sides of the yoke 11, so that the rollers may normally rest against the periphery of the drum. "A coil spring 32 stretched between the arms 31 maintains the rollers 30-in proper inking contact with the drum.

In the operation of the machine, the paper is introduced atthe front of the casing through the slot 33 which is cut into the front wall across the entire width of the latter coincident with the upper surface-of the base 1, and is ejected through a corresponding slot 33 beyond the rear wall of the machine. \Vhen the printing wheel is in the position indicated in Fig. 2. the front end of the paper will be caught between the rear edge of the drum 12 and the platen 27 at the first movement of the drum toward the rear, or. if it is necessary to position the paper this may be done prior to anv initial swinging movement of the drum. t being assumed that the drum has been set to the desired printing position by rotation of the head 21 until the pointer 22 coincides with the proper character on the disk T, the shaft 19 is then depressed in the slot 5. This action swings the yoke ll and the drum .2 so that the paper which is caught between the periphery of the drum and the platen 27 is fed' rearwardly and the characters upon the surface of the drum are embossed away that the latter should adhere to the emboss-' and yoke are rocked toward the rear, the

descending front Jside of the yoke comes into contact with the-arms 17 of the cams 16. The'construc'tion of the cam head 16. is such that it will rock with the yoke without actupon the lower ends of bearing blocks 9 until just atthe close of the stroke or movement. Atthis time,-however, the cams 16 ride under the lowest points of the blocks 9 and lift the latter, and therewith the yoke 11 and the printing wheel and this operation obviously lifts the printing wheel away from the platen 27 and. releases the paper, the strippers 29 pulling the paper from the drum or wheel in the event ing characters. As soon as the handle 21 is released, the springs 23 return the yoke and drum to their original positions, the rear side of the yoke striking the arms 18 and thereby releasing the cams 16 from en- "gagexnent below the ends of the blocks 9, so

that the printing wheel may drop again into position to contact the platen the next time the handle 21, is depressed.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the printing wheel, yoke, andcam mechanism are somewhat differently associated. The yoke consists of forward and rear depending arms which extend from a transverse tubular bearing 36. The latter is supported on a shaft 37 which has its journal ends supported in bearing blocks 38, the latter being, in turn, carried upon stems 39 which are vertically inoyable in guide blocks 40 which project inwardly from the walls of the casing. Springs 41, mounted on the rojecting lower ends of the stems 39, and aring between the blocks140 and pins 42 on the ends of the stems normally hold the bearing blocks 38 down against the guide blocks 40.

Mounted on reduced seats 43 cut into the inner faces of-the bearing blocks 38 are the collars 44, which, as best shown in Fig. 7, are provided with the enlargements or cams 45 which may bear upon and wi e over the upper faces of the blocks 40. collars 44 is provided with a lug 46 which cooperates with. a pair of spaced lugs 47 formed on the bearing 36, the lug 46 lying between the lugs 47 a the latter being so spaced that, at the end.of the forward movement "of the bearing 36, the rear lugs 47 strike the lug 46 and carry the cams 45 onto the blocks 40, thereby raising the printing wheel from the platen. Likewise, when the wheel returns to initial position, the foremost lugs 47 strike the lugs 46 at the end of the stroke and remove the cams 45 from the blocks 40. The space between the forward and rear lugs provide for the return of the wheel, in spaced relation of the for the preferred form.

mob of the r platen by retaining the cams 45 on the blocks 40 during the major portion of return movement. By the above construction the same'results may be secured as define From the foregoing, 'it'will beapparent that Ihave provided an improved and simplified form of check writing or printing device which is capable of" as wide a range of usefulness in printing bank paper as other machines of more complicated The printing action is accomplished through a combination of two movements, a swinging movement and a prior rotative setting movement, and by the operations based upon these two movements, the machine is capable of ra id and accurate work. 7

"What claim as my invention is 1. A machine of the character described comprising a platen wheel, a printing wheel adapted to'be moved in a curved path over the platen wheel, means for retaining the printing wheel in engagement with the platen wheel during a printing operation, means for disengaging the printing wheel from the platen wheel immediately subseuent to the printing operation, and means or'retaining the printing wheel out of-engagement with the platen wheel during its return movement over the platen wheel to a normal position.

2. A check writing machine comprising in combination, a casing, a yoke mounted to oscillate in the casing, vertically movable bearings supporting the yoke, a printing wheel rotatable inthe yoke, means for setting the wheel, means for swinging the yoke and wheel, a platen to cooperate with the printing wheel, and means to lift the bearings at the endof a printing stroke to carry thewheel away from the platen.

A check writing machine comprising in combination, a casing, a yoke mounted to oscillate in the ctt'sing, vertically'movable bearings supporting the yoke, a printing element carried in the yoke, means for swinging the yoke and rotating the wheel, a platen to cooperate with said element, and cams actuated by the yoke to lift theelement away from the platen'at the end of a printing stroke.

4. A check writing machine comprising in combination, a casing, a yoke mounted to oscillate in the casing, vertically movable bearings supporting. the yoke, a printing wheel rotatable in the yoke, means forsetting the wheel, means for swinging the yoke and wheel, a platen to cooperate with the printing wheel, means to llftithe bearings at the end of a printin stroke to carry the wheel away from the p etch, and means for lockin the wheel against rotation during the printing stroke.

4. nau ea? in combination, a casing, a yoke mounted to to lock the wheel against rotation during 10 oscillate in the casing, vertically movable the printing stroke. I) hearings supporting the yoke, a printing In testimony whereof I aflix rhy signature wheel rotatable in the yoke, means for setin the presence of two Witnesses.

ting the wheel means .for swin ing the V yoke rind wheel: a platen to cooperate with THOMAS MTOLABE the printing wheel, cams actuated by the Witnesses:

yoke to lift the wheel away from the platen A. LOUISE BUTLER,

at the end of a printingstroke, and means WILLIAM J. BUTLE 

